KEEN New York has been awarded a $25,000 partnership with Turbana by winning the organization’s “Win $25K for Your Cause” contest on Facebook. KEEN is a nonprofit program dedicated to athletes with special needs.
On Aug. 28, the New York operation of Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, or KEEN, was awarded a $25,000 partnership with Turbana after receiving the most votes during a Facebook competition run by the tropical fruit company. Turbana’s “Win $25K for Your Cause” contest drew 85 entries and more than 36,000 votes. KEEN New York received 6,745 of those votes to take home the win.
“It was so thrilling and, at the same time, so humbling to know that so many people had rallied around KEEN New York,” says Maggie Harrison, the organization’s executive director. “Throughout it all, our community was getting out there and spreading the word about their experiences and their love of our organization.”
KEEN is a nonprofit organization that provides athletes who have developmental and physical disabilities, ages 5 to 21, with opportunities to participate in recreational sports, swimming, and crafts programs at no cost to their families. These children receive one-on-one volunteer support. The organization’s New York branch offers programs such as KEEN Sports, a program that pairs various recreational sports with arts and crafts activities for children in Manhattan and the Bronx. Other programs include KEEN Swim, Brooklyn Basketball, and Manhattan Team Basketball. Each session ends with “Prouds,” a group meeting where the children share what made them proud while participating in the activities.
“We want to provide them with an environment where they can just play and be kids,” Harrison says.
According to Harrison, the organization also provides parents with a rest period while their children enjoy free, noncompetitive athletic programs tailored to each child’s needs, and a volunteer is always available to help if needed.
“Parents know we’re going to take really good care of their kids at our sessions,” she says. “We understand that for the rest of the day, week, and month they are with this child. So we also want to give them time to run errands, have a date with their husband, or even take a nap on the sideline and not have to worry about how things are going with their child.”
The newly formed partnership between KEEN New York and Turbana is still in the planning phase. “Turbana really wants to be involved in making our dream, what ever it is, a reality,” Harrison says. “We’re going to start working on the logistics of what would make the most sense and how we can get the most people involved.”
“Turbana is thrilled to be partnering with KEEN New York,” says Marion Tabard, marketing director for Turbana. “KEEN New York is a beautiful organization whose values perfectly align with Turbana’s and we are looking forward to creating a program that is going to grow smiles and share goodness among Keen’s community.”
